


The Gordian Knot

by tobinlaughing



Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Book 4: Empire of Ivory, simple solutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21501616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobinlaughing/pseuds/tobinlaughing
Summary: An alternative scene to the party awkwardness in "Empire of Ivory". There is no reason Laurence couldn't have told his father the truth.If you can't tell, while I love these books--this scene has always bothered me.First paragraph is a direct quote from "Empire of Ivory".
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	The Gordian Knot

_“A masterful stroke, Captain,” Wilberforce murmured softly; “wherever did you find her?” and did not wait for an answer before he accosted a few gentlemen who had risked coming near, and worked upon them in the same fashion, adding to his persuasions that if Lady So-and-So had approached Temeraire, surely they could not show themselves hesitant._

Lord Allendale asked much the same thing, after a while, and rather then mortifying himself to very pieces internally with the absurd idea that any clue to Emily's origins would bring wreck and ruin upon everyone of her acquaintance, Laurence said truthfully, "Why, she is the daughter of one of our Captains--Captain Roland, of Excidium. Yes, you are quite right: I should say Admiral Roland now. Quite the well-deserved promotion! She had been around dragons her entire life, nearly from birth. No, Roland and Excidium are in Dover at the moment and were unable to be spared for the evening, but allowed Emily to come along."

Thus having been entirely truthful and cooperative, while at the same time managing to preserve the honor, prospects, and secrecy of everyone involved, Laurence took a glass of wine and went to enjoy his party --although he was conscious of having nipped the opportunity for a long-running joke off at the stem, as it were, and depriving Emily of a pair of grandparents none of them were heretofore conscious of her ever having had.


End file.
